With the GED test undergoing substantial changes in 2014, the Adult Education Department at Kishwaukee College is changing the class format of the free GED preparation classes it offers throughout the district for the fall semester, which begins on August 26th, 2013. Tricia Wagner, Director of Adult Education at the College, explained, “We have changed the format to offer a more intensive ‘four-day-per-week” class interaction. This will better prepare students to either complete the current GED before December or prepare for the new GED in January. We want our GED students to know: We are here for you!”
The Adult Education Department has streamlined the GED class scheduling: there is a single class site in each of the three main communities: DeKalb, Sycamore and Rochelle. In the past, there were several sites in each community as well as in some of the smaller communities in the district. “With three sites, students and the community can become familiar with exactly where the classes will be held,” Wagner said. “This reduces the risk of a “too small” class being canceled or moved in the middle of the semester and also allows us to consolidate support services – like counseling and childcare – so that we can maximize the benefits that students can receive from those services.”
The GED curriculum delivery has been modified as well. In the past, students would meet one or two days each week and, during each class, cover all five GED subject areas: Math, Reading, Writing, Science, and Social Studies. In that format, students who only wanted or needed assistance with Writing, for example, attended a class that covered all the other subject areas, too.
In the new four-day format, two days are designated for Math and Science preparation and review and two are designated for Reading, Writing, and Social Studies. “This concentrates and intensifies the instruction because both students and instructors can focus on specific academic content areas. Students now have the option to choose which subjects they want to study, or can come on all four days to receive instruction in all areas. And, the classes are all free,” explained Wagner.
Wagner noted that although GED preparation is the main goal of the free classes, they are also designed to give students a firm foundation to prepare for a longer-term goal: college. Wagner stated, “We want to communicate to our students that earning their GED is really a first step in their education. As they prepare for the GED in the focused environment we can provide, they will also be working to develop the skills to continue their education. The GED is a first step in a pathway that leads to their goals of certificate or degree completion and, ultimately, employment. We would like to instill in them that the more dreaming and goal planning they can do, the better off they will be. “Going to college” means both academic and workforce preparation. Whether students aspire to receive a short-term certificate, earn a two-year degree, or transfer to a four-year institution, the Kishwaukee College Adult Education Department stands ready to help students begin working toward educational goals that can result in better jobs and better pay.”
GED classes will be held Mondays through Thursdays at the following locations: in Sycamore at Sycamore High School from 5:30 – 7:45p.m.; in Rochelle at Rochelle United Methodist Church from 6:00 – 8:15p.m; and DeKalb at Westminster Presbyterian Church from 9:00 – 11:15a.m. An additional intensive reading class is also available in DeKalb at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Monday and Wednesday from 12:00 – 2:15 pm.
For more information, contact Tricia Wagner, Director of Adult Education, at 815-825-2086, ext. 3180 or at tricia.wagner@kishwakeecollege.edu.
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